Day 8: Intern for the Day

Today, I was the Bike and Build intern. It ended up being a really great day since a lot was going on. The van has a rogue ignition switch so we have to open the hood to start the van. 

I realized how much the leaders really have to do in order for the group to get meals and all the logistics so shoutout to the leaders! I got to help out JD which was some nice quality bonding time and we got to jam to some rap music. 

We had some issues with the trailer and hitching it since it was on a hill. It ended up taking a while but team work is dream work and we made it happen! 

But overall it was a pretty great day! And the rest of the day, I finally sat down and blogged. I'm trying to post everyday now. Also if you would like to call, after six eastern works best for now!

Day 7: 21st Birthday!! Sumter to Colombia

On my birthday, I woke up at 5am with Backstreet boys jamming in the hallway and a birthday ode. 

There were birthday chalking along the way too!!

Kat was my riding buddy and we had a blast taking photos!! We had a lot of quick stops for photos.

And there were some awesome road signs that fit well with the theme of the summer.

And they saved me the last piece of leftover pizza!! This won't mean anything or even come off as an insult to someone who doesn't understand how hungry and desperate we are for food. When I was eating the pizza, people kept asking, "Where did you get that?!" I also thought it was funny when we were pulling into lunch, Rachael said, "I bet you are ready for a drink," referring to an alcoholic beverage since I was newly 21, and I responded, "YES, I literally cannot wait for Gatorade."

Kat and I left lunch early together since we wanted to get into the host on time. The road we were on was a highway, and the drivers were not very kind. There was one car that came close to swiping Kat so we pulled off and vented out our anger. Little did we know, this is somewhat (sadly) of a normal occasion that we would become numb to by the end of the trip. We ended up being so shaken up that we stopped frequently, and other riders caught up.

We were about 3 miles away from the host, and we met up with some of the riders at Starbucks. There was a wine store next door, and Kat and I decided to go check it out since it was my 21st! It was a Mom and Pop store, and the owner was so kind that he signed on to the Bike and Build website to donate to the cause...he also donated two craft beers since it was my birthday. Kat and I thanked him for his kindness and laughed as we packed the two beers in my camelback pack.

On the way to the host, we got lost. It was our first college campus to be on for the summer so we underestimated finding the exact location on a huge, foreign college campus. But we finally found the University Ministries and of course the host was on a massive hill (this was a trend throughout the summer as well).

And then we arrived at University of South Carolina! So I knew that it was a rule that we could not have alcohol at the host, and I am not much of a rule breaker. Being the ruler follower that I am, I pulled JD aside and told him what happened at the liquor store, and how I had two beers in my backpack. He was taken aback, and said he would have to talk to the other leaders. I had a feeling that I was going to get in trouble...oops.

Meanwhile, Kat and I walked down to the town, and fittingly enough found a dress shop, also called "Oops." I bought a orange/red dress that little would I know would be my main outfit for the summer after rides and even as pjs. This was the time that Kat and I really started to get close. We talked about boys from home, our home life, how our friends perceived us. It was our first deep conversation out of many over the summer. We headed to the USC's gym to take showers. We decided it was best to get rid of the beer so we jokingly drank it in the shower, and cheers to not getting hit by a car (the irony).

We headed back to the host, and JD pulled me aside. He said the leaders had talked, and they decided to van me for breaking the rule about having alcohol at the host. I understood. I had broken the rules, and it was very early on in the trip; they didn't want people walking all over them. I have so many RA friends at home that it gave me the perspective to know that they were just doing their jobs.

As more and more riders found out about me being vanned, some were upset or angry, but I loved Eliza's reaction, "Dude, you planned this so right. You can get drunk tonight, and totally don't have to worry about being hungover in the morning." I thought it was a funny, optimist way to look at it.

We ended up all exploring downtown, and the place Rae had research was not open...so we headed to the ever so trusty Mellow Mushroom since all ages could attend. It was a lot of fun to just sit around and talk to people. We took a group tequila shot which was hilarious seeing everyone's reactions. I ended up sitting down next to Laini, Dan and Curtis and got to talk to them individually for the first time.

I headed home with Laini and Kat, and it was a nice walk back. It was a good birthday with awesome new friends!

Kat doing the splits:

Sarah doing the splits:

And the late night adventure in Colombia!

Day 6: Second Build Day!

We shuttled over to the build site. When we got there, Laini helped me stretch my leg. But I literally couldn't stop laughing and had a giggle fit. Even though we all feel pretty close, no one knew how to react. 

My job was to paint which is fantastic after a long ride day. It is somewhat therapeutic to reboot. Our group got into a jam session to some Macklemore and Talking Heads (Momma's fav!). The supervisors was super impressed by how quickly and well we painted...but it is 28 determined people. 

Afterwards, Kat, Travis and I painted the trailer. 

Day 5: Moncks Corner to Sumter, SC

Well, today was an adventure. We started off with a pretty smooth ride...until I saw 7 other riders backtracking back. We had missed the turn and biked 10 miles in the wrong direction. Luckily, we kept our cool and rerouted (thank goodness for smart phones). 

It actually ended up being my favorite back roads we have been on. There were so many shady trees and definitely a safer road. The dogs can be aggressive though but they are easy to fight off if you  yell at them. I ended up biking with Laini and it was so much fun! We chalked "you can do it" and so many riders said that it helped them keep going when they were giving up hope. I was really happy that I could pay it forward the encouragement since so many of them have motivated me. 

The lunch stop was a lot of fun. I drank sour milk and didn't even notice because our standards for food have lowered so much. I knew it was thick so I said, "hmm taste like ice cream." Six other riders drank it after me and then Dan tried it with a, "what is this!? This is sour and expired." Oops. 

The end of the day was hard because a 60 mile day turned into an 80 mile which most people were not mentally prepared for. 

I've decided that in Bike and Build days there are two days built in. The day is biking and the night is hang out time. We ended up jumping in the lake and swimming. There was also a game of ultimate and a dance party to Ellie Goulding in the parking lot. So even though we have early mornings, we still have a late night. We are living the summer to the fullest. 

Day 4: Charleston to Moncks Corner, SC

We woke up at 6am and practiced packing our bag for the first time. We all have chore groups and my chore for the week is cleanup/thank you letters. It reminds me of Gap to get up and vacuum. 

Our destination was Moncks Corner but more Pinopolis. Rae and I were assigned sweeps (riders who have to be last of the pack to carry first aid and extra tire as well make sure everyone gets in the the end location). It was a tough day because as sweep you have to stay behind everyone so Rae and I had to stop a lot for a 35 mile day. Rachael had two flats, but I had a lot of fun taking pictures with Marcus. It was also really great to have some quality time with Rae and get to know her well! 

Day 3: First Habitat Build!

We all left the church in Charleston and shuttled to the Habitat site early in the morning. I was in the back with Laini and Rachael and we were pretty giggly....cracking jokes left and right. Humor always makes the mornings more bearable.

Ebony was our homeowner and she would be living in her home with her eight year old son. Some people built a fence in her backyard because there was a gator in the pond behind the house! I was put on duty to level out the yard. Melanie, Emma, Nyx, Eliza and I got pretty dirty digging through all the dirt and sand! I'm not going to lie, Melanie and I were bosses at leveling out, and it was really great bonding time.

After we finished, I moved on the cement duty with Marcus and Chris. I had to put on Men's size 11 rain boots to protect my legs. Since the shoes were so big, I ended up getting stuck in the wet cement so I fell into it. Turns out I'm allergic to the chemicals in cement. I turned green and got a rash. The chemicals ate at my skin so now it looks like road rash. 

We went back to the showers at the Citadel. This time I forgot about all of my shower stuff. So I was the first one out because there isn't much you can do without any shampoo, soap or towel. 

One of the things I'm so thankful for is the host. Pastor Dan and all of the people  Trinity United Methodist are so kind for everything they did for us. Pastor Dan was super engaged in our mission so he biked and built with us. His son and him also memorized all of our names and states which was awesome! He got the whole group tickets to the minor league baseball team: the RIVERDOGS!

Day 2: Shakedown Ride

We woke up for the morning of our shakedown ride. For those of you who don't what that means (I didn't either), it is a 25 mile ride around Charleston so the leaders can get a sense of our strengths and weaknesses. We all suited up in our jerseys and chamois (cycling shorts). Right as we stepped outside, a golden lab puppy was spotted. I have never seen a group of people flock to an animal so quickly! The puppy was super excited to see all 28 of us petting her. 

After we got over the excitement of the puppy, we did some cycling drills like abound obstacles, calling, signaling, unclipping, etc. I was a little rusty on the sharp turns, but a fair amount of people had a hard time with that drill as well. But thankfully, I mastered the art of unclipping during training. 

Finally, we headed out for our ride to one of the islands. I rode with Rachael, Cindy and Kendra. The bridge over Charleston was breathtaking (in multiple ways due to beauty and steepness). Here is a picture of us at the top. 

My favorite part was getting to the beach and running into the Atlantic Ocean with Ethan and Brian. We head our bikes over our heads and suddenly, a massive storm struck. It felt like hurricane weather and I ended up getting soaking wet, but it felt so wonderful after sweating up hills.  After completely the shakedown ride, there really was a feeling of "you can do this!!"

We went to the Citadel to shower later. The military campus is very clean cut and interesting with all the tanks and model airplanes. I forgot my towel so I ended up having to walk around the locker room naked (but if we are being honest, it didn't bother me a bit). I also decided it was a good idea to pour Gold Bond powder on me to get dry...it wasn't a good idea. Turns out it doesn't rub in well with water so I looked ghostly for the rest of the day. 

Later that night, a few of us decided to go to Mellow Mushroom to watch the Hawks/Red Wings game. It was awesome that we all could hangout out with out texting or constantly looking at our phones. At one point, the servers turned off the tv and Brian didn't take it so well since it was the middle of the third. An awful bunch of offensive comedians came on so we decided to leave. 

Something that I will forever thing is funny is that since all 28 of us were sleeping in the same room, you get to know people pretty dang fast. Chris yells in his sleep occasionally, JD snores and someone was constantly farting in their sleep so i think it's safe to say we are starting to become a family. 

Day 1: Orientation

My family made sure to get me to orientation right on time, and to my surprise, there were already a lot of bike and builders there! Immediately, I was greeted with hugs and we all pretended like we didn't know each others names so you didn't seem like too much of a Facebook stalker. But I definitely knew everyone's name. One of the leaders actually made a joke to call me Creeper Currey since I saw one of the leaders on the highway to Charleston and snapped the pic below. 

        I think I see Lacy (creeper alert)"

Austin, Brian, Nyx, Mike, Rae, Kevin and I all decided to go grab lunch before our ice breakers officially started. It was really nice getting to hang out with them before all the chaos began.

One of the things that has amazed me the most on the trip is how different you are depending on your hometown. Everything from your habits, speech, ways of living are vastly different in the various regions of the US. My team as a whole represents 16 states which is pretty amazing. At lunch, other riders were already calling out my barely there southern accent with saying "y'all" and "folks."

For dinner, a bike lawyer came to talk to us which was very interesting. He talked to us about safety on the bike and better to be defensive than trusting on the road. Some of the facts were terrifying, but it made me feel better when it said it was very rare bikers got hit from the back. He was super knowledgable and gave us awesome water bottles.

Charleston: The Beginning to the Best Summer Ever

I arrived in Charleston with my mom and sister on May 19th after a long, rainy day on the road. Once we got to downtown, it was beautiful! It is a great city that you can take nice long walks with the shaded moss trees. One of my favorite parts about Charleston are the horse drawn carriages. We decided to take one around the city even though it started pouring.  We learned so many fun facts about Charleston. Apparently some people call it the Holy City because there are so many churches, but they ain't got nothing on Nashville!

Fun facts:
All of the street corners are round so that the devil can't cross the street.
The houses have privacy doors and if they are open that means people are welcome in.
The houses are built facing the west so the breeze could air condition the homes in the summer.

Overall, Charleston is a very beautiful city that I would love to revisit someday.

     Ellen and I at the Pineapple Fountain 

                Horse Carriage Barn

              Dory at the Aquarium 

                      Carriage ride!

             Delicious Mud pudding 

My Theme Song for B&B

I lived

"What if You Get Hurt?"

Over the past four months, one of the common questions I get about my biking trip is, "What if you get hurt?" There are inquires about medical vans, hospitals, if I have to return home, etc. And the made up injuries have ranged from broken bones to death. Even though I am grateful to have family and friends that worry for me, it made me uncomfortable to answer these questions because it forced me to think about what could happen.

Nashville is ranked 14th on most dangerous places for pedestrians and cyclist out of the 54 major cities in the US. This seems to be a trend in Tennessee since Memphis grabbed the number 7 spot. Since Nashville is not very biker friendly, it has been an interesting, reflective experience during my 500 miles of training. The only biking lanes that seem to exist in the city are on the most dangerous streets that you would not be sane to use. However, I tried it anyways. There were times where I almost starting crying on my bike because of the close proximity cars would quickly pass. Cars will be parked in the bike lane or don't care enough to check it before turning. Did you know some people even go as far as "dooring" cyclist? Check it out. I discovered that I pray more when I bike.

This last semester I was in a 20th/21st century War class. One of the main themes of the class was how the soldiers all reacted to the violence of war. To name a few types, there was the courageous, the cruel or the coward. In the book Band of Brothers, one of the soliders recounts that the cowardly soldiers always had an ironic ending. They were too scared to fight so they froze which ultimately resulted in their death. One day while biking up a hill on Granny White Road, I froze. I was deathly afraid. It was a twisting road with blind spots where cars go 50 mph and certainly don't care about cyclists. So I stopped. I pulled over in the driveway and angled my bike so I was visible. There was a mental war about whether I should call someone to pick me up or keep going. But I am much to proud and stubborn to call anyone, so I repeated to myself, "Don't be a coward. The cowards die." Finally, I hopped on my bike and repeated it all the way up the narrow, snaking road until I reached an opening.

I was proud of myself for sticking through it, but it made me painfully aware of the dangers on the road.  Yet with time, I flinched less when cars sped by me or made unpredictable behaviors, and I calmly reacted to protect myself. I began to realize that this is the same thing people do when they drive. When you first begin, you are so scared of everything little thing then as time goes on, it becomes second nature. That is what biking is becoming for me, and it is liberating. We risk our lives every day. So why would I hold myself back from experiencing life due to the fear of death? I cannot wait to see the country in such a beautiful way, serve the community, and grow as an individual. And I refuse to let fear hold me back even though I am terrified. As the great John Wayne said, "Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyways."

My Bike Has Been Named!

I have named my bike. At first, I named my biked Zoolander...due to my fear of turning left. However, I conquered that fear and the name did not seem to stick as much anymore. But this face will make an appearance over the summer, don't you worry!

One day while riding, I discovered that around mile 15 I start singing to myself. One of the songs I kept singing was "Pink pajamas, penguins on the bottom" also known as the Circle of Life. So I thought it was fitting to name my bike: Rafiki. Rafiki means friend in Swahili which shall be my good luck charm for maintaining a healthy relationship with my bike throughout the summer. Hakuna Matata, my friends!

Beginning of an Adventure!

Welcome to my Bike and Build blog for the summer! Bear with me as I attempt to become a blogger, and I apologize for the future typos since I will be writing from my phone. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top for basic info!

I am so excited for you to follow me on my adventure from Charleston, South Carolina to Santa Cruz, California. Pedaling for affordable housing will be such a rewarding challenge, and I cannot wait to meet amazing people and see our beautiful country in such a unique way.

So far, I have raised over 4,500 dollars for the cause, researched about Nashville's affordable housing efforts, trained over 500 miles, collecting gear, and the most challenging of all: mastered the clipless pedals. I am getting a little nervous that the trip has crept up so quickly, but absolutely elated to meet all of the people on my route. Check them out here under the South Carolina 2013 roster! They come from all over the country with different stories and talents, and I cannot wait to have these strangers become my family for the summer. 

Check back here if to follow my adventures, thoughts, and lessons I learn throughout the summer!